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The Hindu
13 hours ago
- General
- The Hindu
A childhood snatched, a future denied
V. Haritha isn't sure how old she was when she got married. 'I was just 14, maybe,' she says, adjusting a child on her hip while two more play nearby. Now 18, she is a mother of three, living in Gangaraju Madugula, a remote village about 120 km from Visakhapatnam, nestled in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh. The village is home to tribal communities such as the Kondhs and Porajas, listed among India's Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). Access to education, healthcare and steady income remains limited in the region, and families often make difficult decisions in the face of poverty and isolation. For many girls like Haritha, that includes getting married — and becoming mothers — while still in their teens. Standing beside her is 16-year-old S. Rupa, eight months pregnant. She married a 24-year-old man a year ago. 'My father couldn't afford to feed all of us. I am the third girl. He had no choice,' she explains with practiced calm. Teenage girls like Haritha and Rupa, married young and already mothers, are not exceptions in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Their stories are part of a larger trend documented in the Round Seven of the Work and Family Lives: Young Lives Survey, released in Hyderabad on May 30 this year. The study began in 2002 in the then-undivided Andhra Pradesh, selected as one of four global sites alongside Ethiopia, Peru and Vietnam. 'The State was chosen because of its early push to economic reforms — initiatives such as Vision 2020 and privatisation made it an ideal setting to study how liberalisation impacted children over time,' says E. Revathi, director of the Centre for Economic and Social Studies and lead investigator of the study in India. Using a longitudinal, mixed-methods approach, the study tracked 2,000 one-year-olds and 1,000 eight-year-olds across 20 sentinel sites — urban and rural clusters selected based on development indicators. Over 23 years, researchers followed these children across Andhra, Rayalaseema and Telangana, documenting how they grew up, studied, worked, got married and had children. While some indicators improved, one pattern remained stubbornly visible: the prevalence of early marriage and teenage pregnancies. One of those tracked was Kamakshi, a girl from the Goya tribal community in Mahbubnagar, Telangana. She was just 11 when she was married off to a 16-year-old relative. Her parents, struggling with poverty and homelessness, saw marriage as a way to reduce their burden. 'She was eight when we first met her in 2002,' recalls P. Prudhvikar Reddy, one of the field researchers. 'By our second visit in 2006, she was already married. And by 2013, she was raising three children.' Now 29, Kamakshi is a grandmother. One of her daughters was married before she turned 18; another, who is out of school, lives with a relative in Jogulamba Gadwal. 'I could not leave her alone at home while I went to work,' says Kamakshi, who makes a living through daily wage work, by frequenting the labour addas of Chandrayangutta, Hyderabad — just 100 km from Mahbubnagar. In forest-fringed Chittoor of Andhra Pradesh, a Scheduled Tribe girl from Bangarupalem recounts her troubled marriage to a 28-year-old daily wage labourer, now working near Tamil Nadu border. In October 2023, local police and activists intervened to stop her child marriage. The families agreed to delay it until she turned 18. 'But just two days later, my father took me to a temple of our village goddess, near Kolar in Karnataka. The wedding was conducted in the presence of a few relatives. From there, I was taken to Bengaluru, where I worked as a housemaid in a posh locality while my husband took up a job as a truck driver,' she shares. Within a month, she got pregnant. After she gave birth to a girl, her husband vanished without a word. She waited three months before returning to her parents' home in Chittoor. 'He came back a few months ago, promising he will never abandon us again. But I know, he is not just a drunkard but also a liar,' she says, her laughter tinged with resignation. In the Bangarupalem-Palamaner belt, considered a hotspot for child marriage, the Rural Organisation for Poverty Eradication Services (ROPES), a 35-year-old NGO, has intervened in several cases. 'Just in the last couple of years, we have stopped over 200 child marriages in these two mandals. The numbers are slowly falling compared to previous decades, but the threat still looms in silence,' says K. Dhanasekharan, chairman of the NGO. Data doesn't lie While the National Family Health Survey (2019-20) noted a modest drop in teenage pregnancies — from 8% to 7% — the Young Lives study painted a starker picture. In Telangana alone, 20% of women were married before the age of 18, and 28% had a child before they turned 19. Early marriage and motherhood continue to limit educational and economic prospects, though the overall trend is declining, note researchers. Among the younger cohort tracked by the study, 13% were married before 18 whereas 18% had become mothers by 19. The figures were higher among the older cohort (25% and 27%, respectively), suggesting gradual improvement over time. Some of that change is reflected in the trajectory of K. Mona, 31, who lives in a packed slum in northwest Hyderabad. A participant in the Young Lives study since 2002, Mona was just eight when her father died. With no government school nearby and her mother unable to afford private fees, her education ended in Class V. While her mother worked long hours as a domestic worker — leaving at 10 a.m. and returning after a 12-hour shift — Mona stayed home, read the Bible and dabbled in stitching. Her elder sisters, sent to relatives in Machilipatnam, managed to study further: one became a lecturer after completing her MBA, the other a teacher after earning a degree in engineering. Mona remained behind to help her mother and took up odd jobs, including at a local medical store, where she met her future husband, a driver. She got married at 20 and her husband, she says, remains her biggest support. With his encouragement, Mona completed her Class 10 through open schooling. 'I can read now. I understand English even if I can't speak or write. I help my children with their homework,' she says with quiet pride. Her seven-year-old son studies in a private school and wants to join the Army; her five-year-old daughter, who goes to the neighbourhood Anganwadi school, dreams of becoming a doctor. Sometimes, Mona wonders what her life might have been. 'If my father had lived, if there had been a school nearby... things would have been different,' she says, tears welling up. 'My sisters got chances that I didn't. It was not anyone's fault — just the place, the time, the options we had.' A different trajectory Just a few lanes away from her resides 22-year-old Jiya, another participant in the Young Lives study, enrolled when she was just a year old. Raised in the same slum as Mona, Jiya's journey has taken a different course, shaped by steady parental support, access to education and self-assured ambition. Her father, a local pastor, made it clear from the start: her education came first. Petite and poised, dressed in lavender trousers and a crisp white top, Jiya is a BSc (Mathematics) graduate from a private college in Hyderabad. Over the past few years, she has held two jobs — first at the help desk of Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, then at a customer service firm in the city. As a child, she had wanted to be a teacher. By her teens, she was training to become an air hostess. She cleared two rounds of interviews with a Middle Eastern airline, only to be rejected in the final round for something as trivial as a pimple. 'It upset me, of course, but not enough to make me give up,' she says. She took up the help desk job in Hyderabad anyway, travelling four km by bus every day, dressed in a blazer and formals. 'I liked the work, but the pay — ₹17,000 a month — and the atmosphere weren't great. The men passed uncomfortable comments,' she says. With her parents' support, she chose to walk away and pursue higher studies instead. She continued her open degree alongside a year of air hostess training and later joined a call centre, earning over ₹20,000. But the night shifts triggered persistent migraines, forcing her to quit last month. Now, Jiya is preparing to join an IT firm. Marriage isn't on her mind just yet. 'Maybe in a few years,' she shrugs. 'If I find someone I want to share my life with, I will think about it. But for now, I am focused on work and stability.' Growth on paper, gaps on ground One of the key factors contributing to the shift in social practices, particularly the delay in early marriages, has been the growing presence of social welfare residential schools across both States. Andhra Pradesh currently has over 590 such schools under the Tribal Welfare Department; Telangana has 158. These fully residential institutions offer free meals, three times a day, along with education, which has encouraged parents from tribal and low-income communities to send their children, especially girls, to school. 'By the time a student completes school here, they are around 17 years old. That alone has significantly reduced the likelihood of marriage before 18,' says an official from the Andhra Pradesh Tribal Welfare Department. Economic indicators in both States show impressive growth. Andhra Pradesh recorded a Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) growth of 12.94% in 2024, with balanced gains across agriculture, industry and services. Telangana followed with a GSDP growth of 10.1%, driven largely by industry and IT services. Yet, this economic momentum hasn't resulted in proportionate investment in social sectors. And until social development keeps pace with economic growth, the burden of inequality will continue to fall on the most vulnerable — young girls at the margins.
The Hindu
31-05-2025
- Health
- The Hindu
Undernourished and overweight: Telangana youth face dual health burden of malnutrition
Youth in Telangana face a growing double burden of malnutrition, where underweight and overweight conditions coexist, alongside a rising risk of cardiovascular diseases. The finding was part of the seventh round of the Young Lives longitudinal study released on Friday (May 30, 2025). It also pointed at poor dietary diversity, gender disparities in health risks, and persistent rural-urban inequalities. The study, which has tracked two cohorts of children since 2002 when they were aged 1 (younger cohort) and 8 years (older cohort) respectively, also found poor dietary diversity among youth. It provides an overview of key nutrition, health and well-being indicators comparing the younger cohort at age 22 with the older cohort at the same age in 2016, alongside tracking the younger cohort's progress from age 12 to 22. The sample includes 948 participants from Telangana alone — 641 from the younger cohort and 307 from the older cohort, representing diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Many relied heavily on grains and carbohydrates while consuming fewer fruits, vegetables, and protein-rich foods. However, some improvement was seen, particularly among women from the young cohort. By 2023, 40% of 22-year-old women consumed more than five food groups daily, compared to just 18% in the older cohort at the same age in 2016. The improvement was higher among women (22.5%) than men (7.8%). Underweight prevalence According to Dr. P. Prudhvikar Reddy, one of the speakers at the launch event at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Hyderabad's Begumpet on Friday, underweight prevalence remains higher among participants from socially marginalised groups and rural areas, while obesity was more prevalent among wealthier and urban participants. 'At age 22, we saw more underweight participants among Scheduled Castes (SCs), rural youth, and those with mothers who had lower levels of education,' he said. The reasons Dr. Reddy attributed these trends to changing diets, high consumption of fatty foods, and reduced physical activity. Cardiovascular risk also rose - 22.7% of women were found to be at high risk, compared to just 8.5% of men. Women and Child Welfare Minister D. Anasuya Seethakka called the malnutrition levels in tribal and rural areas 'deeply concerning' and said these areas would be prioritised. 'As someone from a tribal background, I understand these challenges. Diets in rural areas are healthier than today's hybrid food consumption in cities. We need targeted, data-driven interventions,' she said. Well-being scores showed modest improvement, with the younger cohort rating their subjective well-being at 5.1 on a 1–9 scale, slightly higher than the older cohort's 4.9. Mental health indicators were mixed: 15% of the younger cohort reported symptoms of anxiety or depression, lower than the 21% (anxiety) and 17% (depression) among the older cohort. Stress levels remained high, with little progress - 68% among the younger cohort versus 71% in the older group. Dr. Reddy called for broader public health measures that go beyond food subsidies and address early-life nutritional inequalities. He stressed the need for ensuring access to healthy, diverse diets and promoting active lifestyles to counter emerging health risks.
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- Health
- New Indian Express
Telangana will support research initiatives: Minister Danasari Anasuya
HYDERABAD: Research and surveys play an important role in shaping government policies and welfare schemes, said Women and Child Welfare Minister Danasari Anasuya, also known as Seethakka. She was speaking after releasing the Young Lives Round-7 survey report at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) campus in Begumpet on Friday. The minister acknowledged CESS for conducting a comprehensive study on indicators such as education, health, nutrition, learning ability, work and family conditions. She stated that the findings from field-based surveys are useful in identifying gaps in existing policies and can contribute to policy formulation and revisions. Seethakka noted the government's focus on improving education, healthcare and nutrition, particularly for underprivileged and tribal communities. Recalling her own childhood, she said she was familiar with the experience of hunger as a tribal child and added that efforts are being made to address nutritional deficiencies among school children in tribal regions. She said government hostels and schools are being upgraded with improved facilities and meals. The minister described malnutrition as a major barrier to development in tribal areas and referred to the government's initiative of distributing nutrient-rich chikkis to help girls tackle anaemia. Seethakka underlined the role of evidence-based surveys in highlighting public issues, developmental needs, and gaps in governance. She said the Congress government in Telangana would support such research initiatives. Others present at the event included Economic and Political Weekly editor and ICFAI School of Social Sciences professor S Mahendra Dev, CESS director and Young Lives India principal investigator E Revathi, NHM representative Dr Padmaja and Young Lives India country director Renu Singh.
New Indian Express
31-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
16% of young women in Telangana married before 18: Survey
HYDERABAD: Early marriage and motherhood continue to pose serious challenges in Telangana, with 16% of women from the Younger Cohort (YC) (born in 2001-02) married before the legal age of 18 and 22% becoming mothers by age 19. These findings are part of the preliminary results from the 'Young Lives Round 7 Survey (2023-24)', unveiled on Friday by Women and Child Welfare Minister Dansari Anasuya, alias Seethakka, at the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS) in Hyderabad. The survey, which began in 2002, tracks 12,000 children in Ethiopia, India, Peru and Vietnam to examine long-term trends in child poverty. In India, it focuses on the undivided Andhra Pradesh, covering 20 mandals — 13 in Andhra Pradesh and 7 in Telangana. The Telangana districts included in the latest round are Karimnagar, Bhupalpally, Nagarkurnool, Mahbubnagar, Jogulamba Gadwal and Hyderabad, with 948 participants across 33 villages. As of the 2023-24 round, the Younger Cohort participants are now 22-years-old, while members of the Older Cohort — who were eight years old at the start of the study — are now 29.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
Youth in Telangana delay workforce entry, but inequality still shapes their future
Hyderabad: In a close look at the aspirations and struggles of Telangana's youth, the preliminary findings of the seventh round of the Young Lives longitudinal survey, released on Friday, present a mixed picture. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While more young people are delaying entry into the workforce in favour of extended education, many still face entrenched structural inequalities, job dissatisfaction, and mental health challenges. The survey 'Longitudinal Study of Poverty and Inequality,' conducted by the Centre for Economic and Social Studies (CESS), offers critical insight into the transition from education to employment in 2023–24. A growing number of youngsters are entering the labour market at a later age than previous generations, with a majority of 29-year-olds now participating in the workforce, the survey said. However, the nature of this employment remains a concern—long hours, lack of quality jobs, and low job satisfaction dominate their experience. The survey also records a significant shift from agricultural to non-agricultural work in both rural and urban areas, a trend seen among both men and women. Women ahead, gaps persist On the other hand, Telangana outperforms the national average in female labour force participation among youth aged 15–29, with 44.7% in 2021–22 compared to 32.8% nationally. However, gender gaps in employment persist, and early-life disadvantages—such as child marriage, early motherhood, caste/tribe identity, and family income levels—remain strong predictors of outcomes in education and employment. These factors impact not only access to quality jobs but also reading comprehension, university enrolment, and general well-being. Malnutrition, mental health The survey report also highlights the dual burden of malnutrition among youth. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now While many struggle with being underweight, others face overweight or obesity, often linked to lifestyle changes and diet. This burden is compounded by high levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Being underweight was notably more prevalent among those from disadvantaged castes or rural areas, and children of mothers with lower education levels. The findings underline the urgent need for public policy that tackles the deep-rooted inequalities beginning in childhood and extending into adult life. Recommendations include greater food diversity, regulation of unhealthy food consumption, improved access to nutritious diets, and public health campaigns encouraging active lifestyles. Education expansion On the brighter side, efforts to universalise school education have shown tangible progress in Telangana. The state has seen a notable rise in higher secondary school completion and university enrolment, particularly among women and youth from Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes. These gains, observed over the past seven years, mark a significant step towards bridging educational inequalities and expanding opportunities for disadvantaged communities, the report says.
